Breaking down the Western Conference

Who will win the Western Conference? NBA Insider Chad Ford breaks it down.

The West has always been wild but . . .this summer, things just flat out got out of hand.

It was as if Jerry Springer was hosting a Western Conference owners summit. First Jerry Buss lifts his shirt up. Then Gavin Maloof pimp slaps Mark Cuban. Soon the whole crowd is chanting "Jerry! Jerry!" Checks are flying, all-stars are being shipped around the country and David Stern's 10 seconds away from unsealing the launch codes.

Blame it, like you blame everything else, on the Los Angeles Lakers. Hell bent on taking over the NBA, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak went out and added not one, but two Hall of Famers.